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Women Left Behind: Gender Disparities in Utilization of Government Health Insurance in India

Author

Listed:
  • Pascaline Dupas
  • Radhika Jain

Abstract

We document large gender disparities within a government program that entitles 46 million poor individuals to free hospital care. We show that care is not free in practice and higher costs are associated with larger disparities. Lowering care costs increases female utilization but does not reduce gender disparities because marginal beneficiaries are as likely to be male as inframarginals. Long-term exposure to local female leaders reduces disparities by addressing factors lowering female care. In the presence of gender bias, subsidizing social services may fail to address gender inequalities without actions that specifically target females.

Suggested Citation

  • Pascaline Dupas & Radhika Jain, 2021. "Women Left Behind: Gender Disparities in Utilization of Government Health Insurance in India," NBER Working Papers 28972, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:28972
    Note: CH DEV EH
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    Cited by:

    1. Anaka Aiyar & Naveen Sunder, 2024. "Health insurance and child mortality: Evidence from India," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(5), pages 870-893, May.
    2. Dareen Latif & Hamna Ahmed, 2022. "Distance and health facility choice: Evidence from a health micro insurance program in Punjab, Pakistan," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(6), pages 3172-3191, November.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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